Achieve Ideal Fit: How To Enlarge Patterns For Sewing Guide

Making a garment that fits just right feels great. Sometimes, a store-bought sewing pattern is too small. So, how to enlarge patterns for sewing? You can make patterns bigger for sewing using simple pattern resizing techniques like the grid method, slash and spread, or tracing and redrawing. These methods help you adjust pattern size to fit your body better or to match a design idea.

When you sew, you want clothes that fit well. But bodies come in all shapes and sizes. Sewing patterns often come in a size range, but maybe the biggest size is still too small for you. Or maybe you want a looser fit than the pattern gives. This is where making patterns bigger for sewing comes in handy. It’s a key part of pattern alteration for size. Knowing how to adjust pattern size means you don’t have to miss out on sewing projects you love.

Why You Might Need To Make Patterns Bigger

There are several good reasons to enlarge paper patterns:

• Your Body Size: This is the most common reason. Your body measurements might be larger than the pattern sizes offered.
• Comfort and Style: You might want a garment to be looser or have a different look than the fitted style the pattern shows.
• Fabric Choice: Some fabrics shrink. You might enlarge the pattern slightly to plan for this.
• Design Changes: You might want to add gathers or fullness that requires a larger base pattern piece.

Understanding Basic Pattern Changes

Before diving into methods, it helps to know the difference between altering a pattern for your size and pattern grading. Pattern grading is the process that pattern companies use to create a full range of sizes (like Small, Medium, Large) from a base size. It uses specific rules to add size evenly across many pieces. What we’re doing here is usually simpler: altering a single pattern to make it one size or a few sizes bigger for just one person. We are scaling sewing patterns for personal use, not creating a full size run.

Methods for Enlarging Sewing Patterns

There are a few main ways to make patterns bigger. Some are easier for beginners, and others give more control.

• Tracing and Redrawing: This is good for small changes or simple shapes. You trace the original line and then draw a new line a set distance away to make the piece bigger. This is a basic way of tracing sewing patterns for size.
• The Grid Method: This is a very popular and accurate method for larger changes or when you need to keep the pattern’s shape true. It uses a grid to guide your scaling. This is the classic grid method for pattern enlargement.
• The Slash and Spread Method: This method is great for adding size to specific areas, like the bust, waist, or hips, without changing other parts too much. It’s a common pattern alteration for size technique.
• Using a Projector: If you have digital patterns, a projector lets you project the pattern onto your fabric or paper and adjust the size on the screen before tracing or cutting. This is a modern way of scaling sewing patterns.
• Drafting from Measurements: For experienced sewers, you could use your measurements to draft larger sewing patterns from scratch or adapt a basic block pattern you know fits you.

Let’s look closely at the most common manual methods: Grid and Slash & Spread.

Detailed Steps for the Grid Method

The grid method for pattern enlargement is very helpful when you need to keep the shape of the pattern piece while making it larger overall. It works by drawing a grid on your original pattern piece and then drawing a larger grid on new paper. You then copy the pattern line by looking at where it crosses the lines on the small grid and finding the matching spot on the larger grid. This method is excellent for enlarging paper patterns accurately.

h4 Materials You Will Need

• Your original sewing pattern piece.
• Large paper. This can be pattern paper, tracing paper, or even brown kraft paper. It needs to be bigger than your new, enlarged pattern piece.
• Ruler or straight edge.
• Pencil.
• Measuring tape.
• Optional: A flexible curve ruler for redrawing curved lines.

h4 Step-by-Step Guide to the Grid Method

1. Measure Your Pattern and Yourself:

   • Look at the pattern envelope or instructions. Find the finished garment measurements or the body measurements the pattern is made for.
   • Compare these numbers to your own body measurements. Figure out how much extra room you need. For example, if the pattern is for a 40-inch bust and you need a 44-inch bust, you need to add 4 inches total to the pattern piece (2 inches to the front piece and 2 inches to the back piece, since patterns are often for half the body, and you have two sides).
   • Decide on the scale increase. If you need to add a total of 4 inches to a pattern piece that is currently, say, 10 inches wide (for the quarter measurement), you are increasing its width by 40% (4 inches / 10 inches). You’ll need to apply a similar percentage increase to all dimensions, or use a simpler scale like increasing by a fixed amount per grid square. A common way is to decide how much total increase is needed at specific points (like bust, waist, hip) and spread that increase using the grid.

2. Draw a Grid on the Original Pattern:

   • Use your ruler and pencil to draw a grid over the entire pattern piece. A grid with squares that are 1 inch by 1 inch is common. You can use smaller squares (like 0.5 inches) for more detail and accuracy, but it takes longer.
   • Draw lines across the pattern piece horizontally and vertically, making sure they are straight and evenly spaced. Extend the lines to the edge of the paper.
   • Number or letter the grid lines along the edges (like 1, 2, 3, 4 down the side and A, B, C, D across the top). This helps you keep track.

3. Draw a Larger Grid on New Paper:

   • Get your large paper. You need to create a grid on this new paper that is the same number of squares as the original grid, but each square is larger.
   • How much larger? If you want to increase the pattern’s size by 2 inches in a certain direction, and your original grid had 10 squares across that direction, you might make each new grid square slightly wider to add that total amount over the 10 squares. A simpler way for overall enlargement is to increase the size of each square by a percentage. If you need a 20% overall increase, make each new square 20% bigger (e.g., a 1-inch square becomes 1.2 inches).
   • Draw the same number of horizontal and vertical lines as on the original pattern. Make sure the distance between lines is larger, based on your needed increase.
   • Label this new, larger grid the same way you labeled the first one.

4. Transfer the Pattern Lines:

   • Now, look at your original pattern piece, one grid square at a time. See where the pattern line crosses the grid lines or goes within a square.
   • Find the matching square on your new, larger grid.
   • Draw the pattern line in the larger square, making it look like the line in the original, smaller square. For example, if the line curves from the top left corner to the bottom right corner of a small square, draw a similar curve from the top left to bottom right of the matching large square.
   • Do this for every square until you have redrawn the entire pattern piece on the large grid. Pay close attention to curves like armholes and necklines. Using a flexible curve can help draw smooth lines.

5. Connect the Dots and Smooth Lines:

   • After you’ve copied the line segments in each square, connect them smoothly to form the complete pattern piece outline.
   • Use your flexible curve or just freehand to make sure the lines are smooth and flowing, especially in curved areas.

6. Add Markings:

   • Don’t forget to transfer all the pattern markings! This includes grainlines, notches, darts, pleats, and any other important information from the original pattern. These are just as important on the enlarged pattern as the original.
   • Write the pattern piece name, number, and the new size or how much you increased it on the new pattern piece.

The grid method is one of the most accurate pattern resizing techniques because it helps keep the shape and proportions of the original design, just on a bigger scale. It’s a fundamental skill for adjusting pattern size and making patterns bigger for sewing.

Detailed Steps for the Slash and Spread Method

The slash and spread method is different from the grid method. Instead of redrawing the whole pattern based on a grid, you cut the original pattern piece and spread the pieces apart to add size in specific places. This is a very common pattern alteration for size technique. It’s great for adding fullness to a hem, increasing bust size, widening a sleeve, or adding length/width to pants or skirts. This is a direct way of adjusting pattern size by adding space.

h4 Materials You Will Need

• Your original sewing pattern piece.
• Large paper (pattern paper, tracing paper, etc.) to put under the slashed pattern piece.
• Ruler or straight edge.
• Pencil.
• Scissors.
• Tape (masking tape or clear tape).
• Measuring tape.

h4 Step-by-Step Guide to the Slash and Spread Method

1. Identify Where to Add Size:

   • Compare your measurements to the pattern. Figure out exactly where you need more room (e.g., across the bust, around the waist, in the hips, in the sleeve).
   • Look at the pattern piece. Decide where on the pattern piece you need to add that extra room. For instance, to add bust room, you would typically work horizontally across the bust area and maybe vertically from the bust point.

2. Draw Slash Lines:

   • On the original pattern piece, draw lines where you plan to cut. These lines often go across the pattern piece or radiate from a point (like the bust point).
   • For adding width, lines are often drawn vertically. For adding length, lines are drawn horizontally. For adding fullness in a circular area (like a skirt hem), lines might radiate out from the waist.
   • Draw clear lines with your pencil. Mark pivot points if needed (points you cut to but not through, allowing the pattern to swing open).

3. Slash the Pattern:

   • Carefully cut along the lines you just drew.
   • If a line goes all the way to the edge, cut completely through the paper.
   • If a line is a “slash to point,” cut almost all the way to the point, leaving a tiny bit of paper connected. This tiny hinge allows you to swing the piece open.

4. Place Slashed Pattern on New Paper and Spread:

   • Lay your large new paper on a flat surface.
   • Place the slashed pattern piece on top of the new paper.
   • Carefully spread the cut sections apart by the amount you need to add. For example, if you need to add 2 inches of width total across a pattern piece (which is for half the body, so 1 inch on this piece), and you made 4 slash lines, you might spread each slash open by 1/4 inch (4 slashes * 0.25 inches = 1 inch total increase on the piece).
   • Use your ruler to measure the gap you are creating between the pattern pieces to make sure it’s the correct amount. Make sure the sections stay straight if you are adding parallel width/length.

5. Tape the Pieces Down:

   • Once the slashed pattern pieces are spread correctly, tape them down onto the new paper. Use tape to hold everything in place.

6. Fill the Gaps:

   • The gaps you created by spreading need to be filled in. You can do this by drawing lines to connect the edges of the slashed pieces across the gap, or by placing another piece of paper under the gap and tracing the missing shape.
   • Often, you’ll smooth out the lines after filling the gap. For instance, if you slashed horizontally to add length, the side seam might now look jagged. Draw a smooth, new side seam line that connects the original pattern edges across the added space.

7. Redraw Lines and Add Markings:

   • Redraw any lines that were cut or became uneven, like side seams, center lines, or dart lines. Ensure they are smooth curves or straight lines as needed.
   • Transfer all pattern markings, including the grainline. The grainline might need to be redrawn to make sure it is still parallel to the selvage edge after you have spread the pattern.
   • Add notes to your pattern piece about the alteration you made (e.g., “Added 2 inches to bust”).

The slash and spread method is versatile and effective for making patterns bigger for sewing in targeted areas. It’s a key pattern alteration for size technique, allowing you to customize the fit precisely.

Other Pattern Resizing Techniques

h4 Tracing Sewing Patterns for Size

Before you do any slashing, spreading, or drawing grids on a multi-size pattern, it’s best to trace the size you are starting with onto new paper. This keeps the original pattern intact for future use or if you make a mistake.
1. Place tracing paper over your pattern sheet.
2. Use a tracing wheel or pencil to copy the lines for your desired size.
3. Transfer all markings (darts, notches, grainline, etc.).
4. Cut out the traced pattern piece.
5. Now you can use this traced copy for your pattern alteration for size using methods like grid or slash and spread. This prevents you from ruining the original pattern.

h4 Drafting Larger Sewing Patterns

Instead of altering a pre-made pattern, you can draft a pattern from your own measurements. This involves using body measurements and design ideas to draw the pattern pieces directly onto paper. While more advanced, it ensures the pattern is made specifically for your size from the start. You can find guides on drafting basic blocks (like a simple bodice or skirt) for your measurements and then adapting them. This is another way of making patterns bigger for sewing, by building them to size.

h4 Using Digital Tools for Scaling Sewing Patterns

If your patterns are digital (PDFs), some software or projector setups allow you to adjust the scaling before printing or projecting. You can tell the software to print or project at a specific percentage of the original size, effectively scaling sewing patterns up or down. This is a quick method, but less precise for targeted adjustments than slash and spread.

General Tips for Adjusting Pattern Size

• Measure Accurately: Use a fabric measuring tape. Measure yourself over the undergarments you plan to wear with the finished garment. Get help if you can for back measurements.
• Compare Measurements: Look at the pattern’s finished garment measurements if provided. If not, look at the body measurements it’s drafted for. Compare these to yours to figure out how much ease (extra room for movement) is included and how much more room you need.
• Use a Muslin: Always make a test garment from cheap fabric (like calico or an old sheet) using your enlarged pattern pieces before cutting into your nice fabric. This test garment, called a muslin (or toile), helps you check the fit and make any final tweaks to your enlarged pattern.
• Alter Paper, Not Fabric: Make all pattern alterations on the paper pattern pieces before you cut any fabric. Trying to change size on cut fabric is very difficult.
• Keep Notes: Write down the changes you made on your new pattern pieces. This helps you remember what you did and allows you to make the same change again for future projects using this pattern, or tweak it further.
• Check Seam Allowances: Ensure your seam allowances are still the correct width after altering the pattern. Redraw them if needed.

h3 Tools and Materials for Pattern Enlargement

Having the right tools makes pattern resizing techniques much easier.

h4 Essential Tools

• Paper: Large sheets of paper like pattern paper, medical paper rolls, or tracing paper.
• Ruler/Straight Edge: For drawing straight lines and grids. A clear ruler is helpful.
• Measuring Tape: For measuring your body and the pattern pieces.
• Pencil: For drawing lines on the pattern. Use a pencil so you can erase mistakes.
• Eraser: For correcting lines.
• Scissors: Sharp paper scissors for cutting the pattern (especially for slash & spread).
• Tape: Masking tape or clear tape for taping slashed pieces or taping down new pattern pieces.
• Pattern Weights (Optional): To hold the pattern flat while tracing or working.

h4 Helpful Optional Tools

• Tracing Wheel: For tracing patterns onto new paper.
• Flexible Curve Ruler: Excellent for redrawing smooth armholes, necklines, and other curved areas after alterations.
• Hip Curve Ruler: Shaped like a hip curve, useful for drawing smooth side seams.
• Clear Grid Ruler: Rulers with grid lines marked on them can make drawing grids faster.

Using these tools with methods like the grid method for pattern enlargement or slash and spread will help you achieve great results when making patterns bigger for sewing.

Common Challenges After Pattern Enlargement

Even with careful work, you might face challenges when sewing with an enlarged pattern.

• Fit Issues: The muslin might reveal areas that are still too tight or now too loose. This is normal! Pin the muslin to improve the fit and transfer those adjustments back to your paper pattern.
• Distorted Shape: Sometimes, especially if using less precise methods or miscalculating, the pattern piece might lose its original shape, leading to garments that don’t hang right. The grid method helps prevent this distortion.
• Matching Notches/Seams: After spreading, the seams might no longer match up perfectly with connecting pieces (like a side seam of a front bodice meeting the side seam of a back bodice). Always walk the seams together (align them on paper) to check they are the same length and adjust if needed before cutting fabric.

Refining Your Enlarged Pattern

After making alterations using methods like the grid method or slash and spread, take time to refine your new pattern pieces.

1. Smooth Lines: Go over all the lines, especially curves, to make sure they are smooth and continuous.
2. Walk Seams: Lay out connecting pattern pieces (e.g., front and back bodice side seams). Align the seam lines and walk one piece along the other as if sewing them. Check that the lengths match and that notches align. Make adjustments if necessary.
3. Check Key Measurements: Measure the circumference of key areas like the bust, waist, and hip on your enlarged pattern pieces (remembering they are often half or quarter pieces). Double-check these measurements against your body measurements plus desired ease.
4. Transfer All Markings: Make sure darts, pleats, button placements, pocket locations, and all other original pattern markings are accurately transferred to your new pattern.
5. Label Clearly: Write the pattern name, piece name (e.g., “Front Bodice”), new size or amount of increase, and grainline direction on the new pattern piece.

Connecting Enlarging to Grading

As mentioned earlier, pattern grading is making a range of sizes. The pattern resizing techniques we’ve discussed here are often used to go from one size to the next size up, or sometimes two sizes up, for personal fit. While not full professional grading, these methods are essentially performing a manual ‘grade up’ on a single pattern piece. Knowing how to enlarge patterns gives you a practical introduction to how scaling sewing patterns works. True grading involves complex rules about how much to add at specific points for each size increment, and consistency across all pattern pieces in a collection. For personal sewing, mastering methods like the grid method for pattern enlargement or slash and spread is enough to achieve a great fit.

h3 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

h4 Can I enlarge any sewing pattern?

Yes, you can usually enlarge most paper sewing patterns using these methods. The complexity depends on the pattern’s design. Simple shapes are easier to enlarge than very fitted or complex patterns with many pieces.

h4 How much bigger should I make the pattern?

This depends on your body measurements and the pattern’s measurements. Measure yourself and the pattern (or look at the finished garment measurements) and compare. Decide how much extra room (ease) you want for comfort and style. The difference between the pattern’s size and your needed size, plus desired ease, tells you how much to add. Divide that total amount by the number of pattern pieces covering that area (e.g., divide total bust needed by 4 for front and back bodice pieces cut on fold or as two separate pieces).

h4 Is the grid method or slash and spread better?

It depends on the alteration needed.
* The grid method is great for making a pattern piece larger overall while keeping its shape and proportions accurate. Good for general size increases.
* The slash and spread method is better for adding size to specific areas like the bust, hips, or sleeves without changing the whole pattern piece. Good for fitting different body shapes.
Many sewers combine methods, using slash and spread for targeted fit issues and perhaps a bit of grid scaling for overall size.

h4 Do I need to enlarge all pattern pieces the same amount?

No. You make alterations based on your body. You might need to add a lot to the bust piece but only a little to the waist, and perhaps nothing to the shoulder width. Measure yourself and the pattern to see where changes are needed. Skirt or pants pieces might need changes at the waist and hip, but not necessarily the hem (unless you want more fullness).

h4 What if I make a mistake?

That’s why you work on a traced copy of the pattern! If you make a mistake, you can start over with another copy. This is why tracing sewing patterns for size first is a good step. Making a muslin also helps catch mistakes before you cut your main fabric.

h4 How do I add length or shorten a pattern?

Adding length (or shortening) is a type of pattern alteration for size. You typically use a method like slash and spread (cutting across the pattern and spreading the pieces apart) or redraw the hem/top edge lines further apart. Patterns often have “lengthen or shorten here” lines to guide you.

h4 Can I enlarge a pattern multiple sizes?

Yes, but it gets harder and less accurate the more sizes you jump. Making a pattern one or two sizes bigger using these methods usually works well. Making it many sizes bigger might distort the original design’s shape significantly. For large jumps, starting with a pattern closer to your size or learning to draft larger sewing patterns from your measurements might give a better result.

h4 What is ease?

Ease is the extra room built into a garment pattern beyond your body measurements. Design ease is for style (e.g., a loose dress has a lot of ease). Wearing ease is for movement and comfort (even a fitted dress needs a bit of ease to sit and breathe). When adjusting pattern size, you are often adding ease relative to your body size compared to the pattern’s intended body size.

Conclusion

Don’t let pattern sizes limit your sewing projects. Learning how to enlarge patterns for sewing opens up a world of possibilities for achieving a perfect fit. Whether you use the structured grid method for pattern enlargement, the targeted slash and spread technique, or simply trace and redraw lines, these pattern resizing techniques are valuable skills. Practice making patterns bigger for sewing, test your altered patterns with a muslin, and soon you’ll be creating garments that fit you beautifully. Happy sewing!